Butter chicken is creamy, buttery, and oh so tasty!
Butter chicken is not quite as sweet and tangy as chicken tikka masala is. In comparison it’s much more of a North Indian or Punjabi curry. It has the traditionally layered flavors of ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, combined with cream and butter; making it thick, creamy, and hearty. The heavy use of butter just makes it Punjabi goodness!
Curry is not something you’d make for a quick dinner or just toss together in a short amount of time. I nearly hate that there are so many quick fix recipes out there, simply because it’s a ramshackle way to make something that is best when done painstakingly. You can’t make a fabulous roast, rack of ribs, Thanksgiving turkey, paella, or coq au vin in 30 minutes, similarly you can’t get a great curry in 30 minutes. Traditional curry takes hours to prepare, simmer, and to perfectly layer the flavors. At only an hour-ish cook time, this curry is considered a fast one. If you’re up against a time deadline, consider something easier like a fry up. Fry ups are perfect midweek and VERY tasty. But if you do have the time and the patience, a good curry will fix all that is wrong with your day.
Fun fact #65: Curry means gravy.
Maybe a fun fact #66: Curry spice is actually a British concoction.
I think it’s a fun fact #67: There is a curry leaf – which tastes NOTHING like curry spice – and is predominately found in South Indian cuisine.
Looking for a few more Indian restaurant classics? Try these:
Butter Chicken
Course: Main CoursesCuisine: PunjabiDifficulty: Medium6
servings1
hour10
minutes55
minutes2
hours5
minutesIngredients
- For Marinade:
1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 plain yogurt
8 8 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp 4 ginger, minced
1 1 serrano pepper, minced
2 tbsp 2 fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp 1 garam masala, ground
1 tsp 1 turmeric
2 tbsp 2 cumin seed, ground
1 tbsp 1 salt
2 tbsp 2 cayenne pepper
2 lbs 2 chicken, skinless and cubed (you can use bone-in)
- For Gravy:
3 tbsp 3 vegetable oil
2 2 large onion, finely diced
6 6 cloves garlic, pureed
2 tbsp 2 ginger, pureed
1 1 chili pepper, finely minced
2 tbsp 2 whole garam masala, ground
2 2 whole dried red chilies
1 tbsp 1 whole cumin seed, ground
1 1 Indian bay leaf
1 tsp 1 turmeric
2 tbsp 2 coriander seed, ground
1 1 stick cinnamon
4 4 cardamom pods
2 2 whole cloves
1 cup 1 water
6 6 tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp 1 cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 heavy cream
1 1 stick of butter
Salt, to taste
Cilantro for garnish
black mustard seed for garnish
Equipment/Specialty Items
Cumin SeedsCumin Seeds
Indian Bay LeafIndian Bay Leaf
Coriander SeedsCoriander Seeds
Cinnamon SticksCinnamon Sticks
Green CardamomGreen Cardamom
ClovesCloves
Directions
- Marinade:
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk yogurt till smooth.
- Add in garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Mix in chicken and coat evenly.
- Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours, overnight if possible for the best flavor.
- Cooking Chicken:
- These are best cooked over the grill however, if you’re not going to bbq these, use the broiler.
- For broiler: Position the oven rack about 8 inches from the heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. Place the pieces of chicken on a baking sheet.
- Broil the chicken, turning over from time to time to ensure even cooking, for approximately 10 minutes or until the outside has brown/crispy spots.
- Cooking Gravy:
- Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Saute onions until deep brown approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure to continue stirring to avoid burning.
- Add in garlic and ginger and saute till fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add in chili pepper and saute till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Add in garam masala, dried chilies, cumin, Indian bay leaf, turmeric, and ground coriander seeds. Cook till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Add in cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Stir in water.
- Pour in pureed tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns deep brownish red. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream and butter.
- Add in chicken and cook for 10 minutes, till chicken is cooked through.
- At this point the sauce should be thick and bubbling. If it’s too thick add in water.
- Add in salt.
- Serve:
- Garnish with cilantro and mustard seeds. Serve with roti and raita.
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Nutrition Facts
6 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories684
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
40.9g
62%
- Saturated Fat 20.1g 100%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 202mg 68%
- Sodium 1564mg 66%
- Potassium 22mg 1%
- Total Carbohydrate
26.5g
9%
- Dietary Fiber 4.4g 16%
- Sugars 10.6g
- Protein 52.4g 104%
- Calcium 22%
- Iron 30%
- Vitamin D 131%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
